Calls for responsible gun ownership after 3 kids shot in a matter of weeks
Apr 11, 2025
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — A young girl is fighting for her life after being shot in south Wichita.
Police say the shooting happened inside a Tobacco, Beer and Grocery store on Harry, east of I-135.
This is the third child shot in Wichita in a matter of weeks.
The other two children, one 7 ye
ars old, the other 1, died.
"If somebody needs a gun lock, come down here, I've got plenty of them," said Josh Bowler, Manager of The Bullet Stop. "If it makes a difference between your kids living or dying, I'd much rather you ask us for a gun lock."
Bowler says the first thing he does when selling someone a gun is talk to them about gun safety.
"We have a lot of individuals in the world that are untrained or uneducated about firearms, children and adults. If you have questions, call us," said Bowler.
It's still unclear what led up to the 4-year-old child being shot.
"Detectives are here on scene following up on this shooting to determine exactly what occurred and what led up to the shooting," said Wichita Police Captain Aaron Moses.
Friday's shooting makes it the third child shot in Wichita in a matter of weeks. It has WPD sending a clear message.
"These incidents have a profound impact on our community, not just the individual families involved. If these juveniles attend school, it impacts their peers, teachers, officers who respond to these incidents, fire and EMS staff, hospital staff, and all of us," said Moses.
A ripple effect, Bowler tries to teach gun education.
"We have a lot of individuals in the world that are untrained or uneducated about firearms, children and adults, you know, either both. If you have questions, call us," said Bowler.
So nothing like this happens again.
Wichita police say you can get a free gun lock at any of the four stations during normal business hours, no questions asked.
Bowler also offers gun classes for training and education. ...read more read less